The Fall to Rise
by OSR- The Ace of Hearts
Summary: Renn is taken, gone from the face of the forest and the only trace is the scent of a demon and a vision of Narik. this is a tale of courage, friendship and the overpowering strength of love for another which makes Torak express his feelings for Renn.
1. The Fall

Chapter 1: The Fall

The young fawn ate at the green blades of grass emerging from the deep brown earth. Pausing every so often to raise her head encrusted with a white star upon it to inhale the scents around her checking for danger before continuing to graze. Renn stood twenty metres downwind of the gracious deer, an arrow knocked. She took one more step forward to gain a clear shot and felt her legs buckle as the ground beneath her gave way. The last glimpse of the fawn bound away was all she saw before the cavernous earth swallowed her whole.

Torak jumped as a flustered wood grouse impulsively flew from a juniper bush barely a metre beside him. It had been a long and worry filled night since Renn had disappeared and he had relentlessly searched her tracks for any sign of where she had vanished to. Her tracks had ended a valley from their campsite in crumpled pieces of earth almost twenty metres from a clearing. Other than a young deer's tracks bounding off deep into the forest none other were found. He stood dazed, not many in the forest could mask their tracks from his ever so watchful eye and Renn was not one of them. He pitied those whom would dare have taken his beloved for now the hunt was on.

Torak stood tall and howled "_pack-sister in danger! Help!"_

**»—»**

Wolf lifted his head from where he had been sleeping with his pack to hear Tall Tailless's enraged howl shaking the forest with its urgency. He rose barking a soft "_stay" _to Darkfur and the cub before he took off moving with the speed of the roaring fast wet. Tall Tailless was a lope to the south away and even though wolf hadn't seen him in half a moon due to the protection of the cub he sensed the distress his adored pack-brother was in. as wolf drew near him he picked up a scent which was all too familiar to him, and as his pack brother asked if he could smell Renn beyond the crumpled earth where her tracks ended wolf snarled _"no but there is demon"_


	2. Dreams of a Lost Love Song

Chapter 2: Dreams of a Lost Love Song

Torak held Renn's warm hands within as he looked deeply into her eyes. Longingly she took his hands and brought them behind her bringing him forward and their lips met. Renn's mouth passionately moved with his, her tongue caressing his and their hands released and they brought their arms around each other. A beautiful little bird sung delightfully in their midst.

Torak woke instantly as lightning broke through the night sky picking up lost souls and taking them safely up to the stars. He trembled as he struggled out of his sleeping sack and sweat trickled down his body like little rivers. His heart tore at him as he realised that the beautiful moment he had shared with Renn was merely a dream. Sensing he would not sleep further Torak rose and placed a small oak branch on the gleaming fire. The fires breath flew up in a flash of sparks as it lit the shelter and Torak drew in its warmth as the rain fell. Wolf melted from the dark forest, entered the shelter and sat beside Torak, a hare hanging from his large jaws. Its blood seeped out as his white fangs pierced its soft fur. Torak felt Wolf's gaze upon him apologetically as he perceived his pack-brother grief.

It had been two days now since Renn had gone, gone from the face of the forest and Torak was lost in despair. The only trace that Torak hoped could lead him to her was that of a demon and they had followed it for a day now. Torak unwilling to waste any time had urged Wolf to help him seek the source of the scent fearing any time lost would mean he would lose Renn. However, Wolf, reluctant to leave Darkfur and Pebble after the events perspiring in the wrath of Eostra's owl, had brought them with him. Now though pebble held barely a trace of a cub and loved this adventure.

As the night transformed to day the pack led Torak through several valleys only pausing to replenish their supplies and eat. Torak saw a white field mouse draw particularly close to him before rushing off and he tried to decipher what the forest was telling him but for now his main concern was Renn. As night fell and the moon's light was lost as the great sky bear ate at it there hunt came to a halt. Torak did not want to stop but sleep was gnawing at his mind and there was no light to continue. He realised a vital mistake he had made due to his emotions overthrowing his basic survival instincts, he had no shelter, no fire and it was pitch black. Managing to find a small cave Torak asked wolf "_does anything live here?"_

Wolf judging no scent found said "_no." _Torak moved into his sleeping sack as the wolves lay quietly in their sleep.

Torak's mind whipped through a haze of dreams settling at one where he was Narrander, the great otter clan mage, his power extending through all the lakes and rivers of the forest. Something was wrong though, he'd joined together with other powerful mages to help the clan's but all they'd really wanted was power. Then he sought to leave but his only son Narik had been taken by Eostra and with Seshru's help had been tortured. Where was he? Where is my son?

**»—»**

Renn gasped for breath as she lay winded and bruised upon the rock floor of what seemed to be a cave. She'd fallen two metres into a dark abyss and what seemed to be some sort of trap door mechanism had shut tight and locked. Darkness lay about her like a thick blanket and the only light was the flickering dance of a flame torch held by a stone hand which shadowed away into the wall. Renn dusted herself off and went to the flame torch and attempted pulling it from its location. The hand's grip tightened and Renn let out a squeal as another two strong cold hands gagged her and bound her wrists.


	3. Tears of the Past

Chapter 3: Tears of the Past

Torak's ears rung with the repetitive song of the colourful bird Torak knew as the chaffinch which had eerily sung in all of his dreams. Over the last couple of days he had been constantly tormented by them and his eyes bore the wounds of sleepless nights. They'd not made it much further in their search for Renn as sleep deprivation had starved him of strength and Torak feared the worst for her.

The wolves growled as they approached a clearing but Torak stumbled forward barely noticing them. There in the clearing stood an old man hunched over, one eye gone, and breath as foul as a rotting carcass, calling to a white mouse hiding behind a sapling. Torak had not seen the disfigured old man since giving him some supplies to aid his journey and he felt pity for him as he and the old man shared a common ground, they were both looking for there loved one. Torak approached him fearlessly and the old man he knew as Narrander turned towards him and said, "Have you seen Narik?"

Torak picked up the white mouse and gave it to the grieving man.

"Narik!" exclaimed Narrander, "now I've told you a million times not to wander off!"

Torak sat down and wolf seeing Torak knew and felt safe with this man came and rested beside his pack brother. A question hung in Torak's mind so he asked "what happened after the fire?"

He looked deeply into the young man, who sat before him, then with shreds of sanity coming back to him Narrander's eyes gleamed and a tear tore from them. He said "after the fire, I went back to the hill, the burnt hill; small flames still crackled and burnt trees bore the scars of the blaze. There on the far corner under a rocky out cliff were charred bones, charred bones of a boy."

He spoke now with the authority of a clan mage and not the lunacy of an outcast continuing, he said with tears streaming down his worn face "that boy, that boy was my son."

He broke off in a mourning heap and Torak not having the strength to do anything brought his head upon wolf's smooth fur and slept.

**»—»**

Renn struggled against her captives but they overwhelmed her and she was thrown into a pit which was then covered. She managed to free her hands of the rawhide which had bound them and she then took off the other strip of rawhide they'd used to gag her. Her captors had not given her any source of light so all she could see was the ever growing darkness. She felt around her pack for the sharp strike fire using the light it made from sparks she took in her surroundings. She was in an almost circular pit of about three strides from one side to the other, a bowl filled with dirty water was positioned next to a lump of rotting meat and maggots swam through its sloppy juices… someone had been expecting a visitor


	4. Words of the Otters

Chapter 4: The Words of Otters

Renn felt the pain in her stomach like a never ending torrent, she was slowly starving but she refused eating the rotting meat which was now more maggots than flesh. It had been a week since she'd had fallen into this horrid cave and things were not getting much better. Her thirst had betrayed her and she had drunk the dirty water because she knew death would grow on her without it. Renn's emotions stirred and raged, if only she had her bow she thought, if only. When her captors bound her they'd taken her bow, axe, knife, food water. Renn felt helpless, this was how wolf must have felt when he was caught by the soul eaters she thought.

There was an echo of heavy footsteps as man came closer, opened the cover over her pit and looked down. She saw the glimmer of the flame torch he held, it was so bright and the light from it burnt her eyes. His facial features were hard to distinguish but he carried the smell of burnt flesh with him.

"How's the snake's child coping?" the man asked his voice thrumming with strength yet tipped with the unmistakeable ring of madness.

Renn stammered a "what do you mean?" her voice wavering hunger provided a lack of strength.

The man laughed "are you not the viper mage Seshru's daughter?"

Renn shuddered as her mother's name was mentioned and anger fuelling her she cried "No I hate her! What do you want with me?"

"Ahh don't we all, at least your parent showed you that they wanted nothing to do with you. My father acted as if he loved me only to give me to Eostra and… your mother."

"Who are you?" she faltered.

"Why, haven't you guessed I'm the otter's son, Narik" his name hung in the air buzzing in Renn's ears over and over again as Narik shut the cover and left.

**»—»**

Torak woke from a dreamless sleep to find himself in a shelter made of small yew saplings and fallen branches bound together with rawhide and covered with moss; a small box of wood was tethered to the top of the shelter. Light beamed out from the exit and fear awoke in him as he shuffled out of the shelter to see where he was. Narrander sat by a fire trying to conduct a role-play with the white mouse and the wolves.

"You Wolf, are restless and dreams they taunt you" Narrander said trying to push wolf into a sleeping position but Wolf not budging.

Then turning to Darkfur Narrander said "you are hungry but all of what you can find is long dead and filled with worms of white, your souls too are fighting a battle they will never win but unite"

Finally he turned to the white mouse and said in an eerie voice that spooked Torak, "you are the Dreamer and all powerful."

Pebble feeling left out turned and ran to Torak, knocked him over and smothered him with sloppy licks, laughing Torak tried to get up playfully pushing the ecstatic wolf off him. When he got pebble off him the rest of the pack forgot Narrander's play rushed to him to, in turn give him their kisses.

Torak finally got free to find Narrander muttering "no, no, no now you've ruined it all."

Torak apologised then asked Narrander what he was doing but Narrander's eyes went blank and said "what do you mean?"

Torak found Narrander had no recollection of the role play so he asked "how long was I asleep for?"

"Two days" replied Narrander his stinking breath choking him but that was the least of his concerns as now it had been a week since Renn had been taken.


	5. The Night Stalkers

**Chapter 5: The Night Stalkers**

It had been two nights since he had left Narrander in pursuit of the demon scent. They had fallen off track when he had had taken them in and Torak needed to make up lost time. As a parting gift Narrander had given him the small box of wood containing the mush of juniper berries, willow leaves and some other plants he could not make out. Even though he'd known Narrander as a crazed madman there was a defiant sense of justice and an unbreakable love for the forest within him.

The day grew to night but Torak was restless and felt he could continue through the night but wolf grew tense, his hackles rose as they entered a thicker part of the forest. Trees brushed against Torak's arms and legs warning him to go back but his persistence and love for Renn was pushing him forward. Wolf stopped and Torak inquired _"what's wrong?"_

Wolf replied _"tall tailless hunters close, fruit bat pack"_

"_How many"_ Torak asked

"_ten"_ wolf said after smelling the air to double check the scents

Torak hesitated if wolf was caught with him and tried to defend him he would be killed. He barked an urgent _"run! Hide!"_

Wolf, fast as a grey arrow but as silent as the wind sped off into the darkness, leaving Torak alone in the empty darkness.

**»—»**

Wolf sped through the glossy night forest and hid in the shadows, he watched as the hunters slowly surrounded his deaf pack-brother who held his big stone claw. He had wanted to stay and fight these hunters but Tall tailless had told him otherwise and he must obey the pack leader. He stalked them at a good distance and watched them circle his pack brother and with their flying claws aimed at him forced him to let them bind him and take him to their lair. With an uneasy feeling he followed them.

**»—»**

Eyes appeared from the forest, their large fearful pupils stirred Torak's courage. His axe poised he attempted to defend himself but in their overpowering numbers he stood no chance and let them bind him. He watched helplessly as they took his weapons and as they silently headed for their camp he realised he was losing the way to his quest for Renn.

It was about early dawn when they arrived at a large cave with huts forming a semi circle at the entrance. Few people were awake it seemed and what seemed to be the fruit bat clan leader walked towards the group looked at him solemnly. He was a middle aged man who as most in the clan had large pupils and a short but stocky build. After he analysed Torak he looked at the young man who stood before him and asked "which clan do you belong?"

"None" Torak answered, "But I am Finn Kedinn's foster son"

With a look of recognition he unbound him and said "follow"

They headed toward a central tent where a fairly young mage stood, her blonde moving in the wind. They entered the tent and all sat around a smouldering fire, then the leader said "I am Fauran, leader of the fruit bat clan, what news do you bring from the ravens? Have they been suffering too of the dreams?"

Torak shuddered, thinking of the torture he went through not sleeping for all those nights but he had never stopped to think other clans too would have been suffering from this. He asked for his pack then after a brief moment an older man brought it to him and Torak pulled out the wooden box the walker had given him. The Fauran and the mage gathered closer and he opened it showing them the contents, "this will help you sleep, hang them on the roof of your huts."

The mage looked at it and in deep thought tried to asses what it consisted of. Fauran then thanked him and Torak asked "what is causing the dreams?"

Fauran's face went pale and murmured "Narik the Dreamer."


End file.
